International Education Development Strategies: A Comparative Perspective of US and Chinese Higher Education

Abstract

In recent years, the development of international education has gradually become the mainstream research topic in the global higher education field. Taking higher education in China and the United States as the research subject, this paper compares and analyzes international education from multiple perspectives, such as educational concept, system, and internationalization path. The research results show that international education in China displays the characteristics of “government strategy and society logic”: China continuously advances the development of international education from the perspectives of quality and international influence. The government issues policies to coordinate the development of international education, and universities promote international education through institutional construction. Different from China, the United States follows the logic of “market and institution” in the development of international education. The United States develops international education through rules, accreditation, and transparency under the guidance of the government and institutions. Although the governance method and development logic of international education development in China and the United States are significantly different, both face the challenges of policy uncertainty, resource imbalance, and lack of student support. Therefore, this paper suggests that both should learn from each other. China should learn from the experience of the United States in transparency and student support, while the United States should learn from China in top-level design and system coordination. Finally, through the process of learning and institutional innovation, China and the United States can achieve high-quality and sustainable development in international education.